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2024
DTN 048: DOE Looks to Robot Worms to Move the Power Grid Underground
The Big Picture
Robot worms, lasers, drones and AI: How ARPA-E wants to move the US power grid underground
“The U.S. Department of Energy on Tuesday announced $34 million in funding to support a dozen projects focused on improving the nation’s power resilience by moving some grid infrastructure underground. The projects span 11 states, and are being developed by small and large businesses, national labs, and universities. They are being funded through the Grid Overhaul with Proactive, High-speed Undergrounding for Reliability, Resilience, and Security program — aptly known as GOPHURRS — and managed by DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. Projects include multiple worm-inspired digging approaches, an artificial intelligence and aerial drone solution, ground penetrating radar and advances in cable deployment and splicing. The U.S. electric system spans more than 5.5 million line-miles and contains over 180 million power poles, “all of which are susceptible to damage by weather and its effects, and account for a majority of power outages in the country each year,” DOE said. “Undergrounding power lines is a proven way of improving the system reliability for both transmission and distribution grids.” (Utility Dive)
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JPEG of the Week
Peer Review
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Funding x M&A
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Miscellanea
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